The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1887-10-27
JEKYLL AND HYDE.

va IL SOu ~ oDooo ~ III ShO
right way. The right way is to be pre-
pared to pay for all the liquid refresh
ment he cares to consume. His consum-
ing ability is so great (rising as it does to
positive genius) that only those who are
very wealthy, like myself, can ever hope
TO have an extended conversation with
him.
YES" he said as the conversation
drifted in a musical direction, "prima
donnas are very hard to get along with.
l have had my own share of trouble with
them, 1 can tell you. Which was the
worst? Well, you see, have had very
little experience with what you might call
the modern prima donna. If were to
mention the names of singers that have
had TO do with, the chances are that you
would scarcely recognize q single one of
them. The fame of a singer, after all, is
very ephemeral. Jenny Lind is still
alive, and yet her fame is largely
many will there be who have heard her
sing? In the next generation how can
they tell whether the Patti of that day is
as great singer rs the Swedish nightin-
gale was! There is no method of COM
parison and there cannot be. Which was
the worst to get along WITH Well, that's
hard to tell. No; it isn't either. My
mind must be wandering or would never
have hesitated for moment in answering
that question. Perhaps you think it is
age that makes my hair so whittier 1t is
nothing of the kind. 1t was the season
had Nine Trillena out in the provinces.
Never heard of her? Well, dare say
not. Her season was q short and brilliant
one."
Il suppose it was her temper that was
the troubles''
"Mme. Trillena was the sweetest tenn
pcred woman on earth. She was very
handsome, and don't think she had a
fault in the world. When tell you that
we were married after the short season
you may imagine what my opinion of her
was"
''Does she sing stillr'
'My dear boy, she never sang note in
her life. She never could sing. Nature
having lavished other blessings on her,
denied her n voice"
But / thought you said that I
don't quite follow YOU"
"Oh, yes you do. You were going to
say that you thought l said that she
starred in the provinces under the name
OF Nine. Trillena. That is what did say.
And n very successful season it was. The
papers spoke of her as the greatest singer
of the day."
"And did you say she never sang a
note?'
"Not one. Couldn't to save her life."
''Say, hadn't you better drink some
thing milder than that? This is getting
serious"
Thanks, no. 1 never mix my liquor.
L think good champagne is the soundest
tipple n man can use. Yes; perhaps it
would be good precautiOn to put an
other couple of bottles on ice. Then we
shall not be interrupted for see shall
have to tell you this story. hate inter-
ruptions; don't your
Eyes. Go ahead. promise not to in
terrupt you again, no matter where you
land yourself"
81 meant nothing personal Twas re-
ferring to the walters. There are very
few real walters nowadays. like a delft
waiter who anticipates your wants in
silence and fills your glass without asking
any questions. Well, to begin at the be-
ginning, one day there came to my office
Mrs. Jekyll, She was young widow
whose husband had died and left her with
nothing to live on. She set to work and
learned shorthand and offered her services
rs amanuensis in answer to an advertise
IaCnt. AS her husband had been an actor.
ana she therefore knew more or less about
the work, l engaged her. She proved a
treasure. One day there came in q note
from professor 1 knew in Milan recon-
mcnding to my notice a Miss Hyde, whose
voice he had been training, and with this
note came another from the young lady
herself, asking me to name day when
sho could call. / knew the professor
would send nobody who was not worth
hearing, so made the appointment.
SENactly at the moment Ooma6 Mics
Hyde was announced Mrs. Jekyll was
sitting ut desk writing when Miss HYDE
came in, and, looking toward the door
she gave an involuntary little shrek and
drew back inStinctively. From the glare
in Miss Hyde's eyes l knew she hated
Mrs. Jekyll from that instant.
Miss Hyde was the most appalling
human monstrosity l ever beheld. She
seemed but little over two feet and q half
high, with arms so long that they might
have touched the floor. She had scarcely
any nose, but her mouth stretched from
ear to ear and gave her the appearance of
always wearing q sardonic grin.
81 have come to sing to you, she said
abruptly.
"'Miss Hyde,'I answered, IF YOU had
the voice of an angel it would be quite
useless. do not wish to hurt your feel
ings, but the fact is your-ah-your stage
presence is not such as to make a success
within the bounds of possibility
"'Gou mean that l am so hideous that
the audience would not stand it. Yes, YOU
do mean that exactly; don't apologize, I
know that it is true. But you promised
to hear me sing, and hear me you must.
After that l have a proposal to make to
YOU
81 went to the piano, and I must say
that never heard anything like her voice.
Yet | knew that it would be utterly i'm
possible to bring such a looking creature
on the stage. Her voice was something
wonderful and her training was perfect.
Now she said, Il want you to get
some handsome woman, in whom. Won
have confidence, who could act the part
Of singing. Twill furnish the song; she
will furnish the stage presence, as you
call it,
"'Such a combination is impossible I
replied.
est is not impossible, she cried angrily,
with stamp Of her foot. Il have already
tried it. Every stage has trap door. 1
have had constructed an ornamental fret
work box that will go over the trap, and
into that will climb from under the stage.
find that it can be successfully done
even when l stand among the scenery.
But this is much better, and detection is
impossible. Do you think that with such
voice as have that / am going to starve
in London OF course what propose can
only be suited to concerts, but have no
doubt that with a woman who could act
it might be managed even in OPERA I
shook my head, but the result was that
we went to the theatre and tried it. Mrs.
Jekyll went through the motions of a
singer, and had to confess that the
scheme was q success. sat in all parts
of the theatre and it was impossible to de-
tect the fraud. 1t was agreed that Mrs.
Jekyll would take the part of the actress,
and she, with man that I could trust,
and who attended to the under stage part
of the business, were the only persons in
the secret. After / had signed the con-
tract with Miss Hyde told Mrs. Jekyll
that felt as if i had sold myself to the
devil, and so did.
"Mrs. Jekyll took the name of Mime.
Trillena and was great success from the
very first. We took the provincial towns